A Pharaoh's Gift: Mai Kujaku's True Strength
by Aaron12
Summary: When a chance encounter hospitalizes both her and Jonouchi, Mai finds herself fighting for his soul in a space between the living and the dead. To win, she must face Pharaoh Atem's former vassal, Hassan, in a Duel of Memories that she must win in four turns. But with each failed attempt, she is tortured by a memory of the past. Can Mai finally set aside her guilt to save them both?


Yu-Gi-Oh  
>A Pharaoh's Gift: Mai Kujaku's True Strength<br>By Aaron

How long had she been walking? She wasn't sure. Maybe a day and a half, give or take. Of course, she had only herself to blame. After over a year and a half of that motorcycle being her only mode of transportation, she should have at least known enough to make sure it got regular maintenance. Oh well, no point in beating herself up over it now. All she could do was hobble it to the nearest town and hope there was a garage that would be able to fix it.

Off in the distance, Mai Kujaku could spy a road sign just about half a mile away. Beyond that, a jagged edge of skyscrapers layered out over the horizon. Despite the devastating summer sun beating down on her, Mai couldn't help but let out a slight giggle, feeling a second wind as she quickened her pace. All she could think about was the salvation just a few short miles away. But as she got close enough to read the sign and see where she was going, the hopeful smile melted from her face as she stopped dead in her tracks, almost dropping the motorcycle at the side of the road.

"No…not here," she thought under her breath, staring at the road sign in wide-eyed disbelief, "ANY-where but HERE."

Mai could only stand in stunned silence as she shook her head, never taking her eyes off the sign. Maybe she was hoping that if she kept staring at the sign long enough, it would suddenly read something different and she wasn't where she thought she was. But such miracles were not to be and Mai felt a deep pit well up in her stomach as she was forced to accept the fact that this was where she was inevitably headed.

Domino City…THAT city…where HE lived.

* * *

><p>"Well, I have to be honest, Ma'am, I don't think I've ever seen an engine in this bad a shape," the mechanic declared, who, despite his grease-stained appearance, was far younger and fair-haired than he had any right to be. "What have you been riding this thing through?"<p>

"Can you do the job or not?" Mai responded somberly, "I'm kind of in a hurry to get back on the road."

"Well, I CAN fix it. But it's going to take a while. And with the cost of replacing some of these parts, I honestly have to say you'd be better just writing off the whole thing and getting yourself a brand new bike…," the mechanic started to explain. But his words were cut off as Mai reached into her purse and flashed a wad of yen notes as large as her fist in front of his face.

"Just do what you have to do." she stated dismissively, shoving the notes into the mechanic's hand and heading for the door. "I'll be back before you guys close up."

As Mai made her way through the city on foot, the only question now was how she was going to spend the time while she waited for the bike to get fixed. But her mind was drawing a complete blank. At that moment, the only thought going through her head was the sooner she got out of this town, the better. Each passing second she was out on the street exposed made her even more nervous and jittery. No matter how far or how fast she walked, she kept seeing HIS face…coming around every corner, coming up behind her every time she heard someone's foot scrape the sidewalk. Before long, she was jumping at every sudden movement, feeling her heart pound at every stray shadow.

'This is ridiculous,' she thought to herself, trying to steady her nerves. 'Come on, already. This city is HUGE. It's not like you're going to turn the next corner and he's just magically going to…'

However, right at that moment, she turned the next corner…and froze dead in her tracks.

"So you're really heading for New York in the fall, huh?"

The instantly recognizable voice of Hiroto Honda was heard to ask as he walked down the street, alongside three more equally unmistakable faces. Walking right beside him was Anzu Mazaki, the only girl in the group. And to her left, holding her hand, was none other than Yugi Mutou, who had apparently undergone quite a growth spurt since the last time Mai saw him as he and Anzu were now just barely equal in height. And while his eyes still had that softness, there was definitely an etched maturity to his gaze as well. But Mai couldn't bring herself to take note of any of that, because it was the one face, just behind Yugi's left shoulder was that made time just stop…

Katsuya Jonouchi…HIS face…the one face Mai could never bring herself to see again…

"Yep, it's a two-year dance course, including live performances," Anzu replied, sounding very enthusiastic. "I really can't wait."

"So Yugi, you gonna go with her, pal?" Jonouchi chimed in teasingly, sliding his arm under Yugi's neck in a mock headlock. "I mean after all, two years is a long time to be alone. And a girl's gonna have 'needs' from time to time."

"Aw, come on," Yugi chuckled nervously, clearly embarrassed as Honda and Jonouchi smirked goofily at each other and even Anzu started blushing slightly, herself. "You guys know it's not like THAT. Besides, Anzu and I haven't decided anything yet. We…"

At that instant, Yugi chanced to look in front of him and instantly stopped short. Quick to notice his reaction, Anzu and the others followed Yugi's eyes forward, and in that single instant, Mai's heart completely stopped. All she could do was stand paralyzed in the gaze of four pairs of stunned eyes staring right back at her. It wasn't until Jonouchi took a step forward that Mai finally twitched with movement.

"Mai…is that you?" Jonouchi uttered, almost under his breath. At that moment, every nerve in Mai's body went off, screaming at her to get away as she shook her head, her bottom lip trembling.

"No…!" she blurted out as she broke down, turning on the ball of her foot and running back the way she'd come, as fast as her legs could carry her.

"Mai?! Mai, wait!" Jonouchi called out, tearing off after her. A second later, Yugi and the others were in a mad dash close behind them and the chase was on.

"Oh, you've gotta be KIDDING! THIS again?!" Honda complained as they rounded the corner, with Mai already halfway down the block. "When is he gonna learn that lady's just no good?!"

"Run more, talk less!" Anzu exclaimed in reply as the three tried their best to keep up with Jonouchi, who was already pulling a few yards ahead in his pursuit of Mai.

"Mai!" Jonouchi called again, which only made Mai run faster as she could hear his words echoing into her mind, "Mai, hold on!"

The street lights were just beginning to change as Mai rounded the next corner, but she was far too focused on escaping to pay it any attention. All she could do was shut her eyes tight as she tore across the street, trying desperately to shut out Jonouchi's voice calling out behind her.

"MAI!" Jonouchi called out again, leaping off the curb just as Mai set foot on the other side, "Ma…!"

THUMP!

"Oh my God! JOUNOUCHI!"

Anzu's piercing shriek ground Mai to a halt as she whirled around to see what had happened. But as the sight before her scarred into her brain, her eyes widened in pure naked terror. Yugi, Anzu and Honda were looking on in shock, just a few steps from the curb. A red car was stopped short in the middle of the intersection with a large dent in its hood. And just a few feet away was Jonouchi, lying sprawled in the street, his body still and silent. Mai, meanwhile, could only stand trembling in horrified shock as tears that were far beyond the scope of her control began streaming down her face.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Even Mai had no idea that she could scream like that as she dropped her purse and ran back to Jonouchi's limp form. But just as she hit the street, a bright yellow flash caught her eye as turned and a yellow sports car slammed into her side, sending her bouncing along the street and rolling to a stop. As her vision blurred and the world went dark, the last thing Mai could hear were cries of panic…

* * *

><p>The deathly silence of the hospital room made it feel more like a tomb as Yugi and the others stood at the side of Jonouchi's bed, none of them daring to say a word. Jonouchi, meanwhile, was laying perfectly still, an oxygen mask strapped over his face. His right leg and left arm were both casted and his ribs were heavily taped, along with a large strip of tape around his forehead. The doctor meanwhile, remained just as quiet, keeping a close watch on Jonouchi's vital signs.<p>

"Doctor…will…he be alright?" Anzu asked pensively, finally working up the courage. The doctor, meanwhile, simply turned to the group with a sober gaze.

"I'd rather reserve answering any questions until he has a family member present," he replied simply, "You mentioned he had a sister."

"She's…on her way. We've got a friend picking her up," Honda answered solemnly while Yugi could only look at Jonouchi's face, maintaining his silence. Just then…

"KATSUYA!" Jonouchi's sister Shizuka screamed as she burst into the room. But as she looked down and caught a glimpse of Jonouchi's broken body, her hands went over her mouth and she gasped as her voice shrank to a shuddering whimper.

"…oh no…"

"Aw, man…" Ryuji Otogi winced as he entered the room behind Shizuka and was forced to turn his head away, "What did you get into NOW?"

"Doctor…," Shizuka trembled as she forced the words to come, "…is…is he…?"

"We've done everything we can," the doctor replied straightforwardly. "We've set the broken bones and repaired the superficial injuries. Luckily, there doesn't appear to be any internal bleeding or brain damage, but the next 24 hours will know for sure. I'll be honest, though. I've seen a lot of this type of thing and I'm truly amazed he's lived THIS long. All we can do now is hope."

Shizuka could only hang her head in silence, along with Yugi and the others. Just then, she chanced to turn her head and see who was lying in the bed next to her brother's.

"Miss Kujaku!" Shizuka exclaimed, running between the beds to get a better look. "What happened to HER?!"

"She's the mystery," the doctor replied with a shrug. "The car that hit her was already in mid-stop, so she wasn't struck very hard. She has a deep bruise on her hip and a few cuts and scrapes, but nothing that would account for why she's unconscious. By all rights, she should be able to just get up and walk out of here. Honestly, I've never seen anything like it in my life."

"Hmmh, if we're lucky, maybe she'll stay that way," Honda muttered under his breath.

"Honda!" Anzu scolded. "This is not the time OR the place!"

"Wrong, Anzu! This is EXACTLY the time and the place because it perfectly illustrates my point!" Honda's voice rose to an angry yell. "After everything she did to him back in the States?! And now she comes back and THIS happens to him?! How many catastrophes is Jonouchi gonna have to live through before he gets it through his head that that lady is a worthless sack of…!"

"SHUT UP!" a shrill voice sounded off behind him, forcing the others to look over and she Shizuka shuddering and glaring at Honda, her face a mixture of sadness and anger and fear. "My brother and Miss Kujaku are in this hospital fighting for their lives and all you can do is point fingers?! I don't CARE who started it! All I care about is what's happening NOW!"

"Shizuka…I…I'm sorry," Honda responded, inching over and trying to put his hand on her shoulder as Shizuka dropped her head. "I'm…just saying that…"

"You've said enough!" Shizuka snapped at him, forcing Honda to shrink back. "If you can't say anything helpful here, then just GET OUT!"

With that, Shizuka turned her attention back to Jonouchi and Mai, leaving everyone else in stunned wake of her outburst. Just then, Yugi happened to reach over behind Honda and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Honda, can I talk to you for a minute?" he said, looking at Honda with a serious gaze.

Honda merely responded with a simple nod and followed Yugi out of the room. And with that, Anzu and Ryuji were left alone with the distraught Shizuka.

"Shizuka…it…it'll be okay," Anzu said softly as she moved closer to her. "You've seen your brother get out of situations like this before and he's always come out fine. He'll do it again. You'll see."

Unfortunately, it was one thing for Anzu to SPEAK encouragingly, but another entirely to believe it HERSELF. True, she had seen Jonouchi come back from situations that would surely have crushed a mortal man. And he always miraculously survived. But no one can call on miracles forever. And even Anzu herself had to wonder just how many more times Jonouchi could keep dodging bullets. Shizuka, meanwhile, could only stand at the foot of Jonouchi's bed, trembling and silent.

"Katsuya…" she whimpered under her breath, her eyes welling up with tears. Suddenly, unable to control herself any longer, she fell to her knees and buried her face into the mattress, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Big Brother, please! Come back to me!" she wailed, her fingers digging into the sheets, "Please, I'm begging you! DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!"

* * *

><p>"Uunnnh,"<p>

Mai groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was still blurred for a few moments. But when her eyes finally cleared, she couldn't make sense of what she was seeing. She was surrounded on all sides by stone walls, with tall pillars and cobbled floors. Flickering torches provided little light in the darkened room, save for one small area. And at the far end of the room, a flight of stone steps led up to a large slab, with a large sarcophagus leaning against it. In many respects, the whole setting looked almost like it belonged in a museum display.

"Unh, where AM I?" Mai thought out loud as she shook the lingering cobwebs out of her head.

Just then, the image of the car that hit her flashed into her mind. Gasping in shock, she instinctively looked down at her body, checking for any injuries. But her eyes went wide as not only did she see any wounds, she didn't even see her CLOTHES! Instead, what she saw were two simple wide strips of white fabric, one draped over her chest and another around her hips to clothe her, along with gold necklaces and bracelets. On her feet, instead of her boots, she saw a pair of plain sandals, along with golden anklets wrapping up her calves.

"What the hell…?!" Mai was incensed as she ground her teeth and her eyes burned in rage. "WHAT SICK PERVERT'S BEEN USING ME AS SOME KIND OF DRESS-UP DOLL?!"

"YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN!" a deep voice boomed in from the darkness. "STAND AND FACE YOUR TRIAL!"

Upon hearing those words, Mai snapped out of her tantrum as a large, muscular man emerged slowly out of the shadows. A golden mask, looking almost like an Egyptian Pharaoh, covered his head, and his arms and legs were adorned with gold bands. Symbols and shapes were scarred into his body and some of them looked quite familiar, although in her confusion, Mai could not quite place where she had seen them before. A long, flowing white cloak completed his look and as he stepped out into the light, he was quite an imposing sight indeed. But Mai was in no mood to be playing dress-up at that particular moment.

"My name is Hassan!" the stranger announced. "And you have been selected for a very important task!"

"Is that so?" Mai replied dismissively as she turned to look for an exit. "Well, whatever you're into pal, I can pretty much guarantee that I don't swing that way. So if you'll excuse me, I think I'll be leaving now."

"Indeed? And just where would you go?" Hassan replied raising his arm.

Suddenly, the far wall behind the sealed sarcophagus was awash in a blinding white light, instantly getting Mai's attention. As she turned around it took her eyes a moment to adjust to the brilliant flash bathing her eyes. But within moments, an image slowly appeared in the haze which made her eyes widen in shock.

She could see herself…lying in a hospital bed as still as a corpse. And lying in the bed beside her was Jonnouchi, being watched over by Anzu and Ryuji as Shizuka knelt, sobbing uncontrollably. Immediately, Mai's mind became bombarded with questions…questions that immediately began to leak out from her lips.

"As you can see…," Hassan continued, "…you are hardly in a position to be going anywhere."

"Wh-what…did I…just see…?" Mai stammered, her mind lost in confusion, "What have you done to me?! Where AM I?!"

"Where you are…is nowhere," Hassan answered simply. "This is a solitary chamber that exists within that single thread that divides the Land of the Living…and the Realm of the Dead. The physical body does not exist here. What you are observing as your body in this place is what is known as your Ba…what you would refer to it as your 'soul'. So few Ba ever find their way to this place. Here is for a Ba that has left its body, but has not yet passed on into death. Such as…this one."

Waving his arm once again, the sarcophagus at the top of the stairs slowly inched open. And as she saw the form lying inside with his arms crossed over his chest, she could only let out a horrified gasp.

"No…," she breathed, her eyes widening.

"…Jonouchi…?"

"His Ba has been sealed here," Hassan continued. "Normally, a Ba that finds its way to this place exists here for only mere moments before returning to its living state. But THIS Ba has been severely weakened. It lacks the strength to return to the living. In time, it will eventually slip into the Realm of the Dead."

"What…what are you standing around telling me this for?! Can't you DO something?!" Mai shouted back before suddenly changing her demeanor and looking at Hassan with pleading eyes. "Please, you don't understand. This…this is my fault. If he…I just…I wouldn't be able to…"

"His Ba CAN be saved," Hassan replied, cutting Mai off from her flustered state. "But it requires the assistance of another person's Ba. Only by sharing its strength with his can both find their way back to the other side."

"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place? Let's get a move on here!" Mai declared, walking with purpose past Hassan and up to the steps. But suddenly, before she could take a step further, Hassan's blocked her way with his massive arm.

"One moment…this is not so easy," he warned. "Without sufficient strength, your Ba will not have the ability to take you both back to the living. If you should falter in any way, only one of you might make it back. Or perhaps neither of you may return at all."

"Take a good look in my eyes, pal," Mai answered defiantly. "If it means HE lives, you do honestly think I give a damn what happens to ME?"

"That is neither your decision to make, nor mine," Hassan answered, pointing to a darkened corner at the top of the stairs.

There in the shadows, stood a solitary figure, looking on intently. Squinting her eyes, Mai thought she recognized something familiar in the figure's silhouette, but at that moment, she was long past caring.

"Excuse me!" she argued, pointing up to the shadowy figure. "But what exactly makes this HIS call?"

"That, you would have to ask him," Hassan replied in what had become a typical straightforward air. "It is at HIS behest that I am here. But for you…"

Before Mai knew what was happening, Hassan's huge palm pressed against her stomach and shoved her into the air, back and away from the foot of the stairs. Luckily, Mai managed to find her footing as she landed, skidding back several more steps. Meanwhile, Hassan lifted his arms as the sarcophagus containing Jonouchi was lifted into the air and placed on top of the stone slab behind it.

"…your challenge begins NOW!"

Just then, the ground ruptured and exploded in a hail of rubble as three stone tablets suddenly burst up from the floor in front of Mai. Still lost in her confusion, Mai could only stare, perplexed, at the slabs floating in front of her, unsure of exactly what was happening.

"You will use these stone tablets to summon Ka, allies that assist you in your challenge," Hassan explained, asserting his massive frame in front of the steps. "You are to be given four chances. If your Ba is strong enough to guide his back to the other side…then you must prove that it has the strength to topple ME!"

"W-wait…wait a minute!" Mai protested. "I may not get what you're saying here, but I can do basic counting! If there are only THREE stones here, how can I get FOUR chances?!"

"The fourth chance…is for you to discover," Hassan replied, "Provided you have the courage to find it."

'This makes no sense,' Mai thought to herself as she could only stare blankly at the floating slabs. 'Ka? Allies? What is ANY of this supposed to mean? How am I supposed to…?"

Just then, Mai's eyes went wide as one of slabs suddenly rose to a vertical position in front of her. A moment later, a crude shape was carved into its face as if from thin air. And before Mai could ask what was happening, the image sprang to life and emerged from the tablet, standing tall into one unmistakable form…

"Am…Amazoness Swordswoman?!" Mai blurted out as the figure turned and nodded over its shoulder at her with an encouraging grin.

Admittedly, Mai's mind had drifted at that moment and she had begun to think about her dueling deck when she started thinking about allies, the first monster in her mind being Amazoness Swordswoman. But if that's what made her appear…this revelation instantly got Mai thinking.

'Is THAT what this is? Some kind of weird duel?' she thought, still trying to think this whole situation through. 'Then…why didn't he just SAY so…?'

"DIAHA!" Hassan roared, his voice booming throughout the entire chamber.

"What?!" Mai exclaimed, raising a confused eyebrow.

'Okay, Mai. Get a grip here,' she thought, trying to steady herself. 'If this IS like a duel, then it stands to reason that it should follow the same basic rules, right? Well…I guess there's only one way to find out. It may cost me a turn, but I can't win if I don't find out how this game is played.'

"Amazoness Swordswoman, attack!" Mai shouted, hoping for the best.

At Mai's command, the heavily muscled female was quick to respond, dashing across the chamber like a shot and twirling the enormous sword in her hands as if it were nothing before lunging straight towards Hassan. Unfortunately, nothing was all it seemed to be to Hassan as well as he blocked her sword with a single arm, not even being cut. A moment later, Hassan flashed his arm forward, sending the Amazoness Swordswoman flying back through the air and skidding along the floor right in front of Mai.

'Well…so much for THAT idea,' Mai thought to herself, equally unimpressed with her first attempt.

But before she could think of what to do next, a terrifying image pierced her brain, forcing her to stagger back. As she opened her eyes, she could see it so clearly. She was on Kaiba's Battle Ship, in the Battle City Finals, close to the end of her duel. She was shackled and unable to move against the Wing Dragon of Ra, the God Card possessed by Marik Ishtar. It was only supposed to be a game. But it was a moment in her life where she had never felt more helpless and in that instant, she honestly felt as though her life was in danger. Suddenly, who should appear but Jonouchi, trying desperately to pull her free. Jonouchi would never know how much it meant to her at that moment, the things it made her feel. But suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Mai saw the sun god dragon about to launch its blazing attack…!

"Don't throw your life away! RUN!" Mai shouted, just as she had done that night.

Suddenly, as quickly as it came, the image was gone. No longer was she on the Battle Ship. Now, she was back in the chamber, with the dead gaze of Hassan's mask looking deep into her eyes from across the room.

"I remain standing," Hassan announced. "Such an attack is far too weak."

"What…what WAS that just now?" Mai's voice trembled as she struggled to keep her knees from buckling. "What did you DO to me?"

"I am he who watches over all memories," Hassan answered matter-of-factly. "This is a Duel of Memories…the TRUE test that you must face."

'No…,' Mai thought as her eyes went wide in fear, "Is this a…a SHADOW GAME?!"

"Memories can be used to strengthen or weaken the heart," Hassan continued. "To test your Ba is to test your heart. This is the challenge that lies before you. If you are TRULY worthy, then stand and prove it!"

Never one to let a challenge go unanswered, Mai's pride quickly overcame her fear as her face held a sharp, acid look. She still was unclear as to what the complete rules were, but she did know this much. Her Amazoness Swordswoman was defeated, but not destroyed. That meant she still had a weapon in her arsenal. She just needed a better way to use it.

'Okay girl, one turn down, three to go,' she thought to herself. 'I've still got Amazoness Swordswoman on my side, even though I know she can't do it alone. But maybe…with the right backup…'

Smirking with newfound confidence as she felt the rush of an idea, her second slab rose up, carving another crude figure. Seconds later, the figure instantly sprang to life and Mai couldn't be happier as she saw her plan coming to fruition.

"I summon Amazoness Paladin!" she called out as Hassan now found himself facing off against two well-built female warriors, "Where I come from, there's an old saying. 'Two heads are better than one!' And that's certainly true when Amazoness Paladin gains strength from every Amazoness Monster than joins her in battle. Now, Amazoness Paladin and Amazoness Swordswoman…attack!"

No sooner said than done as the Warrior pair lunged forward, crossing the chamber and slamming their swords into Hassan with all the strength they could muster. And for a brief moment, it looked as though Mai's plan might just succeed. Their attacks had still done no damage to Hassan, who was blocking their swords with his arms, but their combined strength seemed to be enough to force him back, his feet skidding along the ground inch by inch.

Unfortunately, such an easy victory was not to be had as Hassan quickly reasserted his massive frame. Bursting forward as if flying just off the ground, he forced the two warriors back across the room, smashing their bodies through the stone tablets that created them. Without the stones to maintain their forms, both Amazoness Monsters faded away into the shadows.

"It would appear…that your so-called 'old saying' has no bearing on a contest of THIS scale," Hassan remarked on his second victory.

But Mai was hardly in any position to listen as a second image sliced into her brain like a knife of fire. Once again, she was in a duel, faced with Marik Ishtar. One again, she was being stared down by the brilliant, yet terrifying image of the Winged Dragon of Ra. But this wasn't the same as before. They were no longer on the Battle Ship, but on top of an enormous tower. Her arms and legs weren't shackled. And Ra was different as well. It seemed to be…changing.

As Mai looked on in horror, the Winged Dragon of Ra became bathed in flames, transforming into a demonic firebird, staring into Mai's eyes with a gaze so searing it seemed to set fire to her very soul. But a second later, it lunged forth, smothering Mai's entire body in a searing column of flame! For only the briefest moment, Mai felt every sensation overloading, the smell of burning flesh…the shrill cry of her screams ringing in her ears…the indescribable agony of the flames rushing over her skin like a tide that never ebbed. But just as quickly, the sensations simply vanished and Mai was back inside the darkened chamber, with Hassan standing across from her, tall and undisturbed. Quickly, she scanned her body, to find it completely unharmed, although the look of terror stretched across her face refused to fade.

'What…what was that?! That never happened to me! So whose memory was…?!' Mai thought to herself frantically. Just then, she recalled something that never occurred to her as the vision was playing out. When the Winged Dragon of Ra attacked, it was attacking another monster. Gilford the Lightning. But…Gilford the Lightning was never a part of her Dueling Deck….

THAT monster belonged to…

'Jonouchi…,' Mai instantly thought as she looked up towards the sarcophagus, instantly realizing that it was HIS memory that she had just experienced. She remembered Anzu telling her right before she left them about how Jonouchi dueled Marik on her behalf, to protect her from dying in Marik's Shadow Game. But she could never have imagined for one second the true hell Jonouchi had experienced in that contest…until now.

"He…went through THAT…for ME?" Mai uttered under her breath, "But…why would he DO that…?"

"FACE ME!" Hassan demanded, his voice echoing through the chamber, "Your challenge is not yet completed!"

At that moment, Mai felt her whole body trembling in fear. She'd never felt this kind of panic before. Each image that entered her brain as Hassan thwarted her efforts to win was more terrifying than the last. If she failed to defeat him, what NEW horrors could she be tortured with? Not to mention that two of her three stone tablets had now been destroyed.

'Now what?' she thought to herself, trying to keep her mind on the duel, but unable to ignore her heart pounding in her chest. 'I've only got one tablet left and if he destroys THAT, I'll have no way to win. But…how else will I be able to save Jonouchi if I don't…assuming he's not already…?'

'NO! I can't think like that!' she scolded herself. 'Jonouchi's counting on me! This is no time to worry about myself! No matter what this guy throws at me…I have to fight…!'

'…I HAVE TO WIN!'

Just then, a brilliant glow filled the room, forming between Mai and Hassan. At first, Mai had to shield her eyes, but at the light dimmed and took shape, it took only mere seconds for her to recognize the creature that had now just come to her defense.

"H…Harpy Lady?"

Floating about the ground, glaring at Hassan with wild determination, was indeed Harpy Lady, the staple Monster Card of Mai's Dueling Deck. However, as Mai looked over, she noticed her third stone slab still lying dormant. If she hadn't used the tablet to summon her, then how…? Was this what Hassan meant when he said she would have FOUR attempts to beat him?

But Mai didn't have time to ask questions as Harpy Lady's body began to glow once again, moments later wearing the Cyber Shield armor and holding Rose Whip that Mai would use to equip to her in duels using her Spell Cards. At that moment, Mai didn't know or even care how this miracle occurred. She could only look on with a hopeful grin that it happened at just the right time.

'Impressive,' Hassan noted to himself, looking over to the shadowy figure in the corner who simply nodded in approval. 'With absolutely no knowledge or effort, through sheer force of will, she's not only managed to summon her own Guardian Ka to assist her in this battle, but she has STRENGTHENED it as well. She may just have the ability to pass this test yet.'

"Well…now that's more LIKE it!" Mai declared, readying herself for her third attack, "Now, Harpy Lady, let's show him what we can REALLY do when we put our minds to something! Attack!"

With a shrill cry, Harpy Lady took to the sky, hovering over Hassan before lashing out with her Rose Whip. The whip wrapped around Hassan's arm, forcing him to grab on and actually strain to keep his footing as Harpy Lady pulled hard, skidding his feet along the ground. But suddenly, as if receiving a surge of energy, Hassan righted himself, grabbing the Rose Whip and giving it a hard yank, snapping Harpy Lady through the air towards him. A second later, Hassan struck, sweeping Harpy Lady away with a crushing fist that sent her bouncing and skidding along the chamber floor. Once more, Hassan had seemed to effortlessly win yet another attempt. But as the Rose Whip limply fell to the floor along with his defeated opponent, Hassan's arm twitched in pain as he looked down to see tiny trails of blood where the Rose Whip's thorns had actually bitten into his arm.

'She was…truly able to DAMAGE me with that attack,' Hassan thought to himself with a small level of awe, 'She grows stronger with each attempt. But she has only one attack left and still so far to go. Will she REALLY be capable of making such a leap?'

Mai, however, was too lost in the moment to notice anything as a third image sliced into her mind. As the scene played out before her, her eyes could only grow wide in fright as her bottom lip trembled.

"No…not this…," she whimpered as she felt a deep sadness welling in her heart, "…Anything but this…"

She could see it all so clearly, as if it were happening right at that moment. Jonouchi was standing across from her in a duel, looking more dead than alive as they were both surrounded by the green ring of the mystical force known as the Orichalcos. They both knew the rules…whoever lost the duel would have their soul ripped from their body by the magic of the Orichalcos. At the time, Mai was so sure that was what she wanted to happen to Jonouchi, although to think about it so long after, she couldn't remember for the life of her why she was so angry at him. She hadn't seen or talked to him in so long…and her duel with Marik had scarred her so deeply, more than she'd dare admit. Why hadn't he been there for her? He didn't even try to stop her when she left. Didn't he know how alone she felt?

But maybe…if she was stronger…she wouldn't have to worry about feeling lonely. Maybe she wouldn't have to feel afraid. That was what first prompted her to seek out the one called Dartz and accept the power of the Orichalcos. And yet, once she had it, her feelings instantly changed. Sadness and loneliness seemed to be transformed into…this…overwhelming hatred. But…Jonouchi was her friend. If he only knew how much she truly…She…she couldn't hate him…could she?

But just then, before she could answer that question, Jonouchi collapsed right in front of her, physically injured from an earlier duel and unable to continue. Upon forfeiting the duel to her, the glowing circle began to close around them. And as Mai realized what it meant, all she could do was run over to him. After everything they'd been through, after everything he'd tried to do for her, what was wrong with her to think she EVER wanted THIS? And yet, as she held him in her arms, even though he was barely able to open his eyes, he still managed to look up and smile at her. How could he smile, after what she just helped to do to him? Why wouldn't he be angry at her, use his last moments cursing the day they'd ever met? But instead, there he was, thanking her for a great duel before using his last ounce of strength to shove her out of the circle, just seconds before the magic completed its terrible deed…!

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Mai screamed as she desperately reached out, only to find herself back in the chamber again with Hassan.

Falling to her knees, tears that were far beyond her control began trailing down her cheeks, dripping onto the dry stone floor. Even now, that night still haunted her. She remembered crying over him, holding him in her arms. But it was still too late, her tears were all in vain. She had lost him that night, all because of her own fear and weakness. It was that reason that she could still never bring herself to face him after all this time. And now, there she was, one turn away from losing and letting it happen all over again.

"…my fault…it's all my fault…," she uttered under her breath as she trembled, only to break down crying, her voice rising to a yell, "JONOUCHI! IT'S ALL MY FAULT! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"

Sobbing uncontrollably, Mai was completely blind to everything around her. Without warning, the Harpy Lady that had mysteriously appeared to aid her fell to her knees, screeching in pain as her Cyber Shield armor and Rose Whip exploded off her body in a burst of light. Even the Harpy Lady herself seemed to be fading away from the battle. But Hassan's eye was tuned to a more immediate concern as he noticed a swirling dark mist begin to appear behind Mai. Suddenly, a pair of giant blood red eyes appeared in the haze, followed by a long black maw with rows of sharp teeth.

'No! Can that be…?!' Hassan thought to himself as he peered over his shoulder the shadowy figure behind him, who could only look on somberly at the enormous black clawed hand inching its way towards Mai. 'This has become too dangerous! Her own Ba is now faltering! If she weakens any more, she'll no longer have the strength to prevent HERSELF from being dragged into death, much less anyone else!'

Mai was still unaware of the events going on around her, still lost in her own despair as she wept bitterly. Suddenly, a searing wave of heat passed through her body as an explosion echoed all around her, instantly getting her attention. As she finally looked up, her eyes widened in shock to see herself and Harpy Lady surrounded by a giant ring of flame. The searing heat even forced the giant hand behind her shrink back slightly. But that surprise was nothing compared to when she looked up to see what had created it, still hovering over her.

"The…Red Eyes Black Dragon?" she sniffled as her sadness gave way to confusion. Even Hassan was at a loss to explain the snarling creature's presence, as Mai's third and final tablet remained still inactive.

'But…she could not have summoned that creature. So how…?' Hassan thought to himself. But as he turned his gaze towards the steps and looked up, his eyes widened from behind his mask in disbelief at the sight that greeted him.

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

Drawn by Hassan's outburst, Mai looked up in the same direction. And what she saw rocked her to the core.

"J…Jonouchi?!"

To everyone's shock, Jonouchi was sitting up inside the sarcophagus. His body was trembling, his eyes glazed over like an zombie. Yet miraculously, unbelievably, there he was, glaring down at menacing form, concealed in the shadows below.

"Y-you…don't…touch her…," was all he was able to utter. But just then, with a breathless groan, Jonouchi's eyes rolled back in his head as his body went limp, falling back inside the sarcophagus. A moment later, the Red Eyes Black Dragon howled in agony as vanished in a swirl of light.

"Jonouchi!" Mai cried out. Hassan, meanwhile, could still only gaze in stunned silence at what he had just witnessed.

'Incredible! To think that he was capable of summoning a Guardian Ka with his own Ba so severely taxed! Truly, that man possesses a will that only the GODS can match!' he thought to himself. But his thoughts quickly turned back to Mai, who was still on her knees and still in danger of being dragged into the swirling void behind her.

'But as great an achievement as that was, it was every bit as foolish. His Ba is surely stretched beyond its limits now. If she is to keep him from slipping into death, she MUST complete this test immediately!'

Mai, meanwhile, wasn't even looking up anymore. Her eyes were closed. The trails of her tears were still clearly visible in the fading flames, but the crying had stopped. As her breathing became steady and calm, she almost seemed to be in some kind of trance.

'Jonouchi…even with nothing left to give…you still tried to come to my rescue, didn't you? You've always been trying to do that,' she thought to herself, clenching her fists tighter as the look on her face grew more and more determined. 'And what have I done to deserve it? Even now, I have the chance to repay just a LITTLE of what you've given me and what am I doing? I'm here on my knees, crying like a worthless coward!"

A moment, later, Mai rose to her feet, wiping away the tears from her eyes in one smooth motion. And at that moment, a stiff breeze could be felt entering the room and the Harpy Lady that had once been screaming in pain was now standing tall and strong once again. Mai even seemed to be giving off a faint glow, giving pause to the black hand of death that once threatened to crush her and forcing it further into retreat. Even the black mist behind her began to dispel as Mai's eyes snapped open, glaring at Hassan with white hot rage.

"Well, that stops right now. I'm sick of being a coward! I know I've made more than my share of mistakes and I'll probably make even more of them…!" Mai declared. Meanwhile, Hassan looked on in bewilderment as the very air behind her seemed to be…cracking.

"…but right here…RIGHT NOW…I'M GOING TO GET THIS ONE THING RIGHT!"

Right then, it was as if the very atmosphere behind her shattered into thousands of glass shards, twisting and swirling behind her like a kaleidoscope. Suddenly, a second Harpy lady appeared beside the first…followed by a third…and then a fourth. More Harpy Ladies appeared with each passing second and even Hassan found himself taking a small step back in awe at the sight before him.

'Unbelievable. There have been rare occasions of a person's Ba taking on the form of a Monster,' he thought to himself. 'But she's actually using the strength of her Ba to invoke a SPELL! And to be able to use it to recreate her own Guardian Ka so many times…! It's…FANTASTIC!'

"This is my final move! I'm betting it all on this last play!" Mai announced as her third tablet rose into position. And as Hassan and the shadowy figure by the sarcophagus looked on, a crude shape began to emerge before exploding from the tablet in an enormous stream of flame.

"I summon HARPY'S PET DRAGON!" Mai announced as the giant beast stomped from the tablet with thunderous footsteps, staring down at Hassan with piercing eyes along with the dozens of Harpy Ladies surrounding it. "Harpy's Pet Dragon gains strength from every Harpy Lady that joins it in battle! And with this many Harpy Ladies supporting it, if THIS doesn't put you on your ass, then NOTHING will! Now…Harpy's Pet Dragon…ATTACK! TAKE HIM DOWN NOW!"

With a bellow of fury, Harpy's Pet Dragon reared back its head before lunging forward, unleashing an enormous stream of fire. Bracing himself, Hassan struggled to hold his balance against the force of the searing flame. But the attack of Harpy's Pet Dragon seemed to have no limit and it was only a few moments longer before Hassan felt his footing beginning to slip. Suddenly, the force of the attack finally swept Hassan off his feet, sending him flying back and driving him into the stone wall by the steps like a cannonball. And as Hassan slumped to his knees, revealing the enormous hole smashed into the wall where he'd hit, the Harpy Ladies and Harpy's Pet Dragon screeched at the sky in triumph before fading away in glittering streams of sparks.

"Uh…you have…felled me," Hassan groaned, struggling to right himself, "This test…is yours…"

"Shut up and get the hell out of my way!" Mai shouted, already running past him up the steps.

Leaping up the steps two at a time, all Mai could see was the look on Jonouchi's face before he collapsed mere moments ago. And immediately, she feared the worst. If she was already too late…!

'Jonouchi…I don't know if I have what it takes…,' she thought as she continued racing towards the platform.

'…but right now I know…I just…I just want to…'

Mai reached the sarcophagus within seconds, where she found Jonouchi sprawled inside. But he was already almost completely faded away. Another second or two and he would be lost completely. Without a pause, Mai reached inside and dragged Jonouchi up, throwing her arms around him and holding him tightly.

"Jonouchi…come on Jonouchi, wake up," she uttered softly, forcing back tears and praying that she wasn't too late as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. "Please…don't leave me again."

That was as much as Mai could bring herself to say as she clung to Jonouchi desperately, not about to let him go. Suddenly, after a few moments that felt like an eternity, she felt what seemed like an arm gently wrapping around her. Only then did Mai pull away, just in time to see Jonouchi struggling to lift his head. And as he slowly opened his eyes towards her, a weak, but warm smile trailed across his lips.

"…hey you…," he finally managed to murmur under his breath.

"Jonouchi…" Mai breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled herself close and held him tightly once again. Meanwhile, Hassan, still at the bottom of the steps, was hardly interested in the outcome as he righted himself and calmly strode away.

'It is done. The rest I will leave to you,' he declared to himself as he looked over his shoulder at the mysterious stranger in the shadows before disappearing into the darkness himself.

Mai, however, was far beyond noticing Hassan take his leave as she kept hugging Jonouchi as tight as she could. Jonouchi still had his arm around Mai as he worked to get his bearings and figure out what was going on. But as his head began to clear, he chanced to look down and see what Mai was wearing.

"Uh…Mai? What's with wearing the cut up bedsheet," he blurted out, forcing Mai's eyes to go wide, "You know, not that I'm complaining about the view or anything. But I mean, even for you, isn't this KIND of a little…?"

"WHAT?!" Mai shouted, pulling away and shaking Jonouchi's limp form violently. "You jackass! Of all the insensitive, perverted…! I just went through HELL for you! And THAT'S the first thing you have to say to me?!"

Just then, a series of slow, loud claps shot through the air, cutting Mai off before she got too far into her tantrum. Turning in the direction of the sound, Mai noticed the shadowy figure who had been watching her entire ordeal finally stepping out of the darkness. He was dressed very similarly to Hassan, with a white robe and a purple cape. But even with the gold bracelets and necklaces, along with the crown and tanned skin, Mai couldn't mistake those etched eyes, or those five points of hair…!

"Congratulations," Pharaoh Atem declared as he stepped into full view. "Although to be honest, I really never doubted you for a second."

"YUGI!?" Mai's voice almost rose to a shrill squeal as her eyes bulged in shock. "What…what's going…? What are you…?"

"Oh…hey buddy," Jonouchi uttered with a weak smile. "How've ya been? You look good."

"That's a funny observation, coming from you," Atem replied with a slightly amused grin, "Because YOU look horrible."

"Yeah, well…getting hit by a car'll do that to you," Jonouchi answered back weakly.

"Yes, don't DO that anymore," Atem commented as his smile faded slightly, "Seriously, don't…do that anymore. I HAVE missed you all, but this is NOT the way to come for a visit."

"Okay, whoa…excuse me?! Time out!" Mai shouted angrily, shaking herself out of her disbelief. "Would someone please give me some answers?! What is YUGI doing here?! And what's with this whole "Arabian Nights" shtick?! JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

"Well…it's kind of a long story. But the thing is, THAT'S not ACTUALLY Yugi," Jonouchi replied with a slight groan that still illustrated his weakened state. "See, about 3,000 years ago…"

"You can explain it to her later. You two have already spent more time here than you should have. It's time to go back," Atem interrupted, glancing at the glowing red eyes, still peering out of the shadows on the other side of the room, "Which leaves us with just one final piece of business…"

"…My Lord, I declare this contest decided!" Atem sternly called out to the darkness. "I hereby claim my ante! And you WILL honor our agreement!"

The entity across the room spoke not a word. Instead, a low groan, sounding almost like a growl of disdain, echoed throughout the chamber as the eyes vanished back into the mists. A moment later, the wall behind Mai and Jonouchi burst into a portal of light.

"Wait a minute…Yugi…whoever you are…What WAS that?" Mai exclaimed in surprise, only noticing the creature for the first time.

"Yeah, I was…kind of wondering that, too," Jonouchi added in confusion, vaguely remembering how it had tried to reach out and grab Mai in the middle of her duel.

"Greedy, isn't he?" Atem replied cryptically. "I suppose I can't say I'm terribly surprised. It WAS what I was counting on when I made the challenge. Still, for a god of death, you wouldn't think he'd be such a glutton."

"God of death…then that was…" Jonouchi responded, his eyes widening in shock as he remembered what he had done. "You're telling me that I just attacked…?"

"You gave him what he deserved," Atem answered. "HE was the one who tried to break the rules. He should have known better than to try and claim the spoils of our wager before the game was finished."

"…'Wager'…hang on a second…," Mai blurted out as she turned to Atem in disbelief. "Are you saying that you made a BET on me?!"

"Double or nothing…I had to sweeten the pot. It was the only offer I could make to give him a fighting chance," Atem replied, nodding in Jonouchi's direction before tossing Mai a confident grin. "Besides…knowing you…it REALLY wasn't that much of a gamble."

Mai still couldn't believe what she was hearing as she began to lift Jonouchi out of the sarcophagus. But as Atem paused and reached over to place a hand on her shoulder, Mai turned her attention back towards him and couldn't escape the warm smile he offered towards her.

"Mai, you were one of the few people I never got a chance to say goodbye to. I hope this will make up for that. It may not have been the most pleasant experience, but in a way, I hope you'll consider what happened here today my farewell gift to you," Atem remarked calmly. Just then, he reached over and took Jonouchi's hand, holding it tightly.

"And YOU," he continued with a smirk, although his eyes held a deeply serious gaze, "You make sure that it is a long…LONG time…before ANY of you darken my doorstep again."

Jonouchi didn't say anything in reply. He didn't have to. He simply looked over at Atem with a weak smile and simply nodded.

With that, Mai turned and slowly made her way towards the wall of light, with Jonouchi staggering beside her, slumped over her shoulder. Atem, meanwhile, simply observed their departure with a smile as the pair began to fade away.

"It's okay, just keep going," Mai encouraged softly as they stepped into the light, "I've got you. I've got you…"

* * *

><p>Back in the hospital, it had been only mere seconds since Shizuka's outburst as she knelt sobbing at Jonouchi's bedside. Anzu and Ryuji could only hang their heads, unsure of what either of them could do. Just then, Anzu chanced to look up and the sight that greeted her made her gasp in shock. Shizuka would raise her head a moment later, only to be stunned herself and fall backwards just as Yugi and Honda ran into the room.<p>

The room was silent, filled with nothing but dropped jaws. Jonouchi and Mai were both still lying unconscious, but were reaching across from their separate beds, each holding the other's hand. It was several moments later that they both slowly, finally, began to open their eyes.

"Okay…I'll admit that I have seen some REALLY weird stuff with you guys," Ryuji was the first to speak, his voice lowering to a slight shudder, "But THAT…is just FR-R-R-EAKY!"

Jonouchi and Mai, however, paid no attention to everyone else's reaction. Still getting their bearings, they both looked over to see them holding each others' hands. A second later, they both chanced to look up and their eyes met. And in that brief moment, nothing seemed to matter.

* * *

><p>Staring out into space, Mai was sitting on a chair outside the hospital room with a cup of water in her hand. With the immediate danger now passed, Yugi and the others saw fit to get something to eat in the hospital food court while the doctors were able to give Jonouchi a more thorough checkup. Mai, however, seemed almost trapped in a state of paralysis. She kept trying to wrap her head around what happened after the car hit her, but found herself unable to come up with any answers. She could tell people what she experienced in that strange chamber, but what HAD happened was so fantastical that even Mai had a hard time believing any of it. Meanwhile, she was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice the doctor come out of Jonouchi's room and walk up to her.<p>

"Excuse me, Miss? If you don't mind, we'd like to keep you here overnight for 24-hour observation," the doctor explained, "The truth is, none of us have any idea what happened to you. We'd like to make sure you won't have another episode when you leave here."

"Whatever," Mai replied dryly, almost entranced as she kept staring at the wall across from her.

With that, the doctor turned and walked off, although he was far beyond Mai's notice. In fact, at that moment, every person on the planet might as well have not existed as she just looked through every person who crossed her field of vision. For a few long moments, it didn't seem as if anything could get her attention. But suddenly…

"Um…Miss Kujaku?" Shizuka uttered just under her breath. But it might as well have been through a loudspeaker as her voice echoed through Mai's ears, causing her to turn her head and look up at Shizuka's shy, nervous expression.

"Can…I sit down for a minute?"

"Uh…sure, sure," Mai answered, unsure of really what else to say.

Shizuka, meanwhile, remained pensive as she sat on the chair beside her, which didn't make Mai feel much better. Still, Shizuka did remain silent for quite some time. After a few moments, Mai gradually began to feel more comfortable with the situation. After all, she was sure Shizuka would start to ask her some questions, some that Mai was sure she'd rather not answer. But a few moments later, Shizuka would finally break her silence.

"Miss…Miss Kujaku…? Did something happen between you and my brother when he went to America that time?"

For a brief moment, Mai felt her heart skip as she instinctively crushed the paper cup she was holding. But Shizuka didn't notice Mai's reaction as she remained turned away and continued to speak.

"It's just…well, Anzu and the others didn't mention much and Katsuya never talks about it. So I was just wondering…did he…do something wrong?"

It was still several moments before Mai could work up the courage to answer. But even after she cleared her throat, her voice was still shaky as she finally opened her mouth to speak.

"He…he didn't do anything, kid…I did. I got into a bad situation…fell in with the wrong people…I wasn't thinking straight…I was angry, I was hurt…and I took it all out on him…when I shouldn't have."

Mai could feel her eyes welling up, forcing her to take a moment to compose herself. But no amount of preparation felt like enough to keep her voice from trembling and her breath from becoming ragged as she hung her head and finished answering Shizuka's question.

"I, uh…I hurt him, Shizuka…I hurt him badly."

"…oh…," was all that came out of Shizuka's mouth after a long pause, trying to let what Mai said sink in.

Mai, meanwhile, could almost feel herself being crushed by the weight of the silence as Shizuka sat looking down at the floor, not even acknowledging her. Desperate for escape, Mai got up to leave. Where she was going, she didn't know. All she knew was that anywhere had to be better than sitting next to Jonouchi's sister at that moment. But just as she had taken her first few steps…

"I…I don't understand," Shizuka spoke up, stopping Mai dead in her tracks. "It's just…I mean, I know I'm still a kid compared to the rest of you. But…even I know how much you two care about each other. That day we first met, when you talked about him…I could hear it in your voice. And I can see it in Jonouchi's eyes whenever he says your name. I guess that's why I don't get it. I can't understand how you both can feel for each other so much…and you just…don't DO anything about it."

"What's that they say? 'Right out of the mouths of babes'?" Ryuji Otogi's voice chimed in, catching Mai and Shizuka's attention. "No matter what, you can always count on an innocent heart to tell you exactly what it thinks, can't you?"

"Excuse me, but this is a private conversation," Mai responded, tossing Ryuji a defensive frown. "How is any of this YOUR business, anyway? I don't even remember your name."

"Hoo-kay…turning away slightly to avoid THAT low blow," Ryuji muttered quietly through his teeth, rolling his eyes before turning his attention back to Mai. "Hey, sometimes there's an advantage to being on the outside, looking in. Lets you see things maybe other people don't."

"Look Lady, The bottom line is, I don't know you well enough to care if you live happily ever after or not," Ryuji continued. "But you've obviously got some people around here that DO. Do you REALLY want to turn your back on that?"

For a moment, Mai found herself pausing and turning around to Ryuji, wearing an almost longing expression on her face. But a few seconds later, her inner defenses went up once more and her face became stern and cold.

"Right now…I think I want to go for a walk," she answered simply.

With that, Mai headed out the door, leading to the nearest stairwell. Shizuka and Ryuji, meanwhile, could only stay behind in silence, wondering exactly where Mai's head was truly at.

* * *

><p>Trying desperately to ignore the pain in her side from where she'd been struck, Mai slowly limped up the stairs until she finally found herself on the roof of the hospital. She wasn't sure exactly what time it was, but the sky overhead indicated that it was late afternoon. The sun would be setting before too long. As she walked to the ledge and looked out over the skyline, Mai found her first thought drifting to her motorcycle. After all, she said she'd be back for it, but it wasn't as though she could just leave when she was already told that the doctors wanted to keep her overnight. Of course, it's not like the mechanic would just throw it in the dumpster if she wasn't there. And anyway, given where she was, why was she suddenly thinking about something so petty?<p>

Maybe it was simply because she needed something to keep her mind occupied…to forget where she was and what had happened. Alone with her thoughts, she had no choice but to admit to herself that she found Ryuki's words compelling. To have people around her to actually cared about her…to not be alone anymore…But she'd already turned her back on them too many times…and she'd done too much. Even if she had saved Jonouchi's life that day, she was the one who put that life in danger in the first place. So how could she allow herself to think for a second that such an act would even BEGIN to wipe her slate clean?

Of course, that was assuming she had even saved his life in the first place. After all, she couldn't possibly believe what she'd experienced in that chamber was real, could she? But then, she saw things in that place…things that she couldn't have known…and so, couldn't be dismissed as merely her own memories running wild as some strange dream. And what if Jonouchi had gone through the same experience? That couldn't just be a coincidence? But…if it really WASN'T a dream…then what in the world WAS it…?

"Contemplating the nature of the universe?" an instantly recognizable voice chimed in, causing Mai to whirl around in shock.

"Jonouchi?!" she blurted out at the sight of him, bandaged and all, looking out over rooftop, beside her. "What are YOU doing up here?! HOW did you get up here?!"

"What?" Jonouchi replied, turning to her with a shrug. "You think you're the only one who needs some fresh air after everything that happened today?"

'Everything that happened…?' Mai thought to herself, considering Jonouchi's words.

"Jonouchi...how much do you…remember?" she felt compelled to ask.

"What do you mean, 'how much do I remember'?" Jonouchi asked back. "Don't YOU remember? YOU were there, TOO."

"I don't know WHAT I remember. All I know is that one minute we were here and the next, we were…," Mai responded, looking back at Jonouchi, whose expression indicated that he didn't seem nearly as confused as she did. "Jonouchi…what HAPPENED in there? Was it all just some weird dream or were we really…"

"How should I know?" Jonouchi answered after a brief pause, looking towards her and shaking his head before turning back with a sigh. "I can tell you what I DO know. But I can't promise it's gonna make any sense."

Mai didn't say anything to respond. She merely stayed quiet and listened.

* * *

><p>"So…he's really gone," Mai remarked somberly, watching the sun begin its descent towards the rooftops as Jonouchi finished telling the story of everything he and the others experienced, returning Atem to the afterlife.<p>

"Yeah," was all Jonouchi could offer in reply.

'That's what he meant when he said he never got to say goodbye,' Mai thought, remembering Atem's parting words to them.

"Is…everyone alright?" she asked out of instinctive courtesy.

"Huh…? Oh yeah…yeah, everyone's fine," Jonouchi answered. "I mean, it was over a year ago, now. It was a little rough at first, but pretty soon everything got back to normal."

"Maybe not ALL the way back," Mai observed. "I couldn't help noticing Yugi's done a little growing since the last time I saw him. And what was with him and Anzu holding hands before?"

"Yeah, well…they were the ones who took it the hardest when he left," Jonouchi responded with a shrug. "They helped each other through it. And then…well, you know…one thing leads to another…"

"I get it," Mai answered. "So…you guys were talking about her going to New York? You think Yugi'll go with her?"

"Oh, he'll go," Jonouchi answered with a determined stare. "If I have to drag him onto the plane and strap him in myself, he'll go."

At that point, they seemed to have run out of things to talk about. Or at least, they ran out of things that Mai felt comfortable talking about. As the silence wore on, Mai found herself growing increasingly flustered. She could feel it would only be a matter of time until Jonouchi asked about what she had been doing…or maybe said something to try and convince her to stay. And Mai still couldn't allow herself to face that situation.

"Mai…?"

"You know what?" Mai cut Jonouchi off, her words springing forth like a coiled muscle, "It's going to start getting dark soon and after today, I think we could both use a little rest, so…"

With that, Mai headed to the stairwell, trying to appear as calm as possible while at the same time, desperately trying to make her escape. But as she started to pass Jonouchi by, there was no possible way that Mai could have predicted what would happen next…as Jonouchi whirled around, wrapped his uninjured arm around her, rested his hand behind her head and gently pulled her close.

"J…Jonouchi…!" Mai blurted out, completely unprepared by what was happening. "What…what are you…?"

"Something I was too stupid to do before," Jonouchi answered solemly, taking care not to hold her too tightly, but firmly enough to indicate that he had no intention of letting go. "But I'm not too stupid now."

For a moment, Mai was still too stunned to offer any kind of response, merely standing frozen in Jonouchi's embrace. But just as she was starting to regain her wits and her first instinct was to pull away, Jonouchi shocked her still further as his whispered words reached her ear…

"…I really missed you…"

With those four words, Mai's inner defenses were completely shattered. She could feel her eyes welling up to overflowing. She could hear the painful whimper that crossed her trembling lips. But there was no way for her to stop what was coming next. And as the thick tears rolled down her cheeks, Mai's hands reached around, clinging to the back of Jonouchi's jacket as tightly as they could as she buried her face into his shoulder and bawled uncontrollably.

* * *

><p>When Mai finally came up for air, she was in a complete daze. How long had she been crying? Everything from the moment she broke down was a total blur. Vaguely, she recalled letting out an agonized scream at some point while her sobs were muffled by Jonouchi's shoulder. But the sun just setting below the horizon told the tale of just how much time had passed…not to mention the significant dampness of Jonouchi's jacket…and the dark streaks on the fabric that could only have been caused by Mai's mascara. Jonouchi, meanwhile, hadn't moved a muscle the entire time, except for his hand gently caressing her hair. He simply held her close in silence, as though he wanted nothing more than for her to take all her pain and just finally let it all out, no matter how long it took.<p>

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, once he was confident that Mai had completely released all the anguish she had built up inside her for far too long.

"To tell you the truth…I really don't know," Mai answered, pulling away slightly to wipe away her last lingering tears. "I'm sorry, I should probably go get cleaned up. I must look like such a mess right now."

Again, Mai began to head toward the stairwell. But as Jonouchi reached out and propped his thumb under her chin, guiding her face to meet his gaze, she found herself frozen in time once again.

"You've gotta be kidding," he joked. "YOU not look good? You KNOW there's no way, right?"

Seeing Jonouchi offer her a lighthearted smile, Mai found herself sheepishly turning away with a hollow chuckle. But it would only be a moment before she'd turn back, staring into his eyes with a slight grin as her hand reached up and gently caressed his cheek. Another few seconds, however, and she found herself going on auto-pilot once again, tilting her head slightly as she slowly moved in closer. She could feel her eyes gently beginning to close as her lips hovered just millimeters away from his…

"Nnnng…"

Jonouchi's groan pulled Mai out of her trance as he doubled over and slumped onto her shoulder. Looking down, Mai's eyes immediately widened as she noticed the blood beginning to seep through the bandages wrapped around his chest.

"Sorry…," Jonouchi found the nerve to chuckle through his discomfort. "…Guessed I pushed it a little too hard, huh?"

"Oh, you stupid…!" Mai breathed in exasperation as she held Jonouchi up on her bad side, ignoring her own pain as she staggered him to the door. "Come on, we've got to get you back downstairs."

* * *

><p>This was where Mai came in…sitting outside Jonouchi's room, staring off into space while the rest of the world seemed to pass right through her. After what had happened with Jonouchi on the roof, now she had a whole other list of things she had to try and wrap her head around. Although as much as she would have liked it to be otherwise, these thoughts were not nearly as difficult to navigate. After all, they were hardly new. She'd had them for a long time. Only now, she seemed more confused than ever over how to deal with them.<p>

"And that's that! You're not leaving this room until I say different!" the doctor's scolding voice knocked Mai out of her trance as he emerged from Jonouchi's room, yelling back inside. "Don't think I won't chain you to that bed if I have to!"

"Honestly, that fool could have KILLED himself, gallivanting around like that with those injuries!" The doctor continued to fume under his breath as he stormed down the hall, followed closely by one of the nurses. "What on EARTH was he thinking?!"

"That's a very good question…," Mai murmured under her breath, staring back into the void. But just as she was about to let her mind wander once again…

"A man's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep, he can't climb out," another familiar voice caught Mai's attention as she turned around to see Honda leaning up against the wall beside her. "A doctor walks by the hole and the man calls up, 'Hey you! I'm trapped in this hole! Can you give me a hand?' The doctor writes a prescription, drops it in the hole and keeps walking."

"Then a priest comes along," Honda added. "The man calls up again, 'Father, I'm stuck in this hole! Can you help me out?' The priest writes down a prayer, tosses it down in the hole and moves on."

"And then a friend walks by. And the man shouts up, 'Hey pal, it's me. I'm stuck in this hole. Can you get me out?'" Honda continued. "But then the friend does the last thing the man expects…He jumps in the hole."

"The man goes crazy. 'What the hell is wrong with you?! Now we're BOTH stuck here!'" he yells at his friend," Honda went on, turning his gaze to meet Mai's as he finished his story. "But the friend says to him…'Yeah, but I've been down here before…and I know the way out'."

"You're probably wondering what the point of that was," Honda remarked, sitting down in the chair beside Mai. "Well, the point is simple. You want to know why Jonouchi always keeps chasing after you the way he does?"

"It's because you're just like him. Or more specifically, you're just like he USED TO be."

Mai wasn't sure how to respond to Honda's words. All she could do was let him continue speaking.

"Jonouchi knows what it's like to be the outsider. He was the loner, the rebel, always jumping head-first into a fight because he wanted to prove how tough he was," Honda stated. "But at the end of the day, he always felt like there was something missing. And he couldn't put his finger on it."

"It wasn't until Yugi came along that he finally found it," Honda went on, thinking back to the day Yugi had unsuccessfully tried to protect both him and Jonouchi from a school thug, "One person, showing him some genuine decency…when he had absolutely NO reason to. Jonouchi was never the same after that."

"That's why you mean so much to him. He sees a lot of himself in you," Honda added. "He wants to do for you what Yugi did for him…so you don't have to feel like you're alone anymore."

"Yeah, well…maybe someone should have told him not to waste his time," Mai responded, her guilt getting the better of her once again as she stoop up to walk off once again.

"He blames himself for what happened to you in the States, you know," Honda interrupted, stopping Mai in her tracks. "He thinks it's his fault…like maybe if he'd been there for you…none of it would have happened."

"How was he supposed to be there for me?" Mai replied, looking over her shoulder slightly. "There's no way he could have known what was going on."

"No…but he keeps thinking that maybe if he'd given you more of what you needed, you might have TOLD him," Honda answered, forcing Mai to think back to Jonouchi's embrace up on the roof. "I don't know. Maybe he's right, maybe he's wrong…and MAYBE it just doesn't MATTER, anymore. I mean, wasn't that whole mess over and done with a year-and-a-half ago?"

"Sounds to me like maybe you BOTH need to cut yourselves a break," Honda stated. "Okay, maybe you BOTH screwed up. Are you just gonna WALLOW in it forever or are you gonna LEARN from it?"

Mai didn't respond at first, simply standing motionless. But a second later, she found herself turning and stepping over towards Jonouchi's room. Just as she opened the door, however, she found herself glancing over towards Honda.

"I guess if I figure it out…I'll let you know," she answered before going inside.

There didn't seem to be anything more for Honda to say. And visiting hours were almost up. So he simply put his hands in his pockets and headed for the elevator. What he didn't notice, however, was Yugi and Anzu, both peering around the corner, watching his conversation with Mai play out.

"Wow…that's deeper and more mature than Honda USUALLY gets…well, EVER," Anzu remarked with a hint of surprise, remembering Honda's earlier outburst. "I wonder what brought on THAT change of heart."

"Yeah, well…you know…," Yugi's answer trailed off as he bobbed his head back and forth and rolled his eyes innocently.

"Hang on a second," Anzu responded suspiciously, thinking back to Yugi asking Honda to step out of the room with him. "That whole story about the guy in the hole…he got that from YOU!"

"Well, I may have…nudged him onto the right train of thought," Yugi replied, playfully falling back into the role of the "Aw, Shucks" nice guy. "But he's the one who came to his own conclusions."

At that moment, Yugi peered around the corner again. But what happened next made his eyes go wide as he noticed the image of a figure standing outside Jonouchi's room. It was so faint…like a clear silhouette…that it had to be some kind of trick of the light. But as the spiky-haired figured glanced in his direction before it vanished, Yugi knew in his heart, it was no illusion. It was…!

"Oh, did I say you were good? You are GOOOOOOOOD," Anzu remarked, throwing her hands around Yugi and snuggling against his cheek. But she quickly received a surprise as Yugi pulled away slightly, put his arms around her and held her close.

"Yugi? What's wrong?" Anzu asked.

"Anzu…can we just…stay like this for a minute?" Yugi replied solemnly.

Anzu couldn't help noticing that Yugi didn't really answer her question. Although part of her realized she really shouldn't be shocked. After all, regardless of how things turned out, it was only a matter of time before the weight of everything that had happened that day would have caught up to him. Still, Anzu had to admit, it had been a while since she had seen him in this frame of mind. Not since after that day…a year ago…in the Valley of the Kings…

"Ssshhh…it's okay…," she coaxed softly, holding Yugi and tilting her head to place a feathery kiss on his cheek, "…It's okay…I'm here…"

* * *

><p>Completely oblivious to everything that was going on outside, Mai walked into Jonouchi's room. She figured it was as good a place as any to be if she had to be there overnight. As she walked in, she immediately noticed Jonouchi lying on his bed, with fresh bandages around his chest.<p>

"Oh hey…," he greeted drowsily. "Yeah, the doctors gave me something to make me sleep…So I'm probably not going to be very good company, right now…"

"Hm…that's okay," Mai joked as she slid off her jacket vest and hung it up. "You're a lot easier to get along with when you're not talking, anyway."

"Ha ha…," Jonouchi replied sarcastically as Mai sat on the side of his bed and slipped off her boots. But he quickly received a surprised as Mai swerved around and curled up in the bed beside him.

"Uh…Mai? What are you…?"

"Just move over a bit," Mai answered, as she helped shuffle Jonouchi over to the side, slipping one arm underneath his pillow with the other arm draped over him. But even in his lethargic state, Jonouchi was quick to notice that she had propped his head up right next to her chest.

"You know…if someone sees us like this…they're gonna start talking…," he noted, despite the fact that he was drifting out of consciousness quickly.

"Just shut up and go to sleep," Mai whispered, reaching up with her free hand and gently caressing his cheek with her thumb.

"…mm…okay…," Jonouchi murmured as his eyelids began to droop. A moment later, his calm breathing indicated that he had finally drifted off to sleep.

Once again, Mai lost track of time as she lay beside Jonouchi, not moving a muscle, except to stroke his cheek. Regardless of how they got to this point, Mai had to admit to herself, just laying there, watching him sleep, made her feel the most peaceful and content that she had felt in a long while. At that moment, she found herself recalling Honda's words. And she couldn't help thinking that he may have had a point. There was nothing they could do to change what happened. Maybe it was time they both stopped blaming themselves and finally got past it.

Just then, she found herself thinking back to after her duel in the chamber, running up the steps towards Jonouchi. And as she looked down at Jonouchi's face, the words that were racing through her mind then gradually found their way to her lips.

"Jonouchi…I don't know if I have what it takes…," she whispered as she continued to caress his cheek. "…but right now I know…I just…I just want to be close to you. I want to be able to hold onto…whatever this is. And eventually…I hope that I can give you back…even a fraction…of what you've given me."

At that moment, Mai reached up, gently brushing Jonouchi's hair away from his face. With that done, she leaned down and placed a long, feathery kiss on his forehead. Eventually, she would slowly pull away and look down at Jonouchi with a tender smile before finally resting her head next to his. And as she closed her eyes to finally go to sleep, herself, her last words passed into his ear, almost like a breath across her lips.

"I love you, Jonouchi…"

* * *

><p>Several days later…<p>

"Come on, come on! Katsuya's going to be getting out of the hospital soon!" Shizuka shouted excitedly as she ran ahead of Yugi and the others.

"Relax Shizuka! You're not going to miss him!" Anzu called after her, walking hand-in-hand with Yugi. "I'm sure Mai's already there!"

"What? No way, you're imagining things," Ryuji's muffled voice caught Yugi and Mai's attention as they peered over their shoulders to see him and Honda lagging behind.

"I'm telling you, man, something happened between them in the hospital after we left that first night," Honda announced in a hushed tone. "I've just been getting this…vibe…whenever they're around each other."

"Are you sure about this?" Ryuji replied silently, but still very skeptical.

"Trust me, I know my vibes," Honda answered. "I bet you ANYTHING that as soon as the bandages come off, those two are gonna be all over each other like a couple of crazed…"

"What are you talking about?" the familiar delicate voice cut Honda off as he and Ryuji whirled around in surprise to see Shizuka standing right in front of them, looking at them curiously.

"Yes, do tell," Anzu chimed in as she hovered alongside Yugi behind Shizuka, both wearing mischievous grins. "What could you POSSIBLY have to say that's so important?"

"What? Uh…oh…nothing really…," Honda stammered, breaking into a cold sweat with Ryuji before the two trotted off ahead. "Come on! Didn't you guys say we were in a hurry?"

Having no idea what was going on, Shizuka merely shrugged and continued walking towards the hospital. Yugi and Anzu, meanwhile, followed close behind, exchanging an amused chuckle.

A few minutes later, the group found themselves arriving at the hospital's main entrance. And as they only got a few yards away, a pair of familiar figures could be seen emerging from the front door.

"I think I see them!" Shizuka called out happily.

However, Jonouchi and Mai didn't seem nearly as overjoyed as Shizuka. In fact, as Jonouchi hobbled on one crutch and Mai walked beside him, they both seemed very much annoyed, neither of them looking the other in the eye.

"I can't believe you actually had me eat one more meal of that slop!" Jonouchi complained. "We couldn't have waited until I was out so I could go and get some REAL food?"

"Oh, quit your bellyaching! I didn't see a gun to your head!" Mai argued, crossing her arms in aggravation.

"You bet me anything, huh?" Ryuji remarked at Jonouchi and Mai's display as he glanced, cynically, in Honda's direction.

"Well…I guess there's something to be said for being unpredictable," Honda responded with an uneasy shrug.

"If by 'unpredictable', you mean 'bat-crap crazy', then sure," Ryuji added.

Yugi and Anzu could only chuckle nervously at the sight. Shizuka, meanwhile, was too happy to see her brother up and around again to care what was being said.

* * *

><p>"Whoa…," Anzu uttered, standing, wide-eyed, with Yugi and the others in the entrance-way of Mai's palatial luxury condo. "THIS is where you've been staying since you got back?!"<p>

"Oh, it's nothing much," Mai replied with a shrug. "It's just a place to flop."

"Are you KIDDING me?!" Honda exclaimed, still in shock. "I'm seeing crystal vases, a glass coffee table, all-leather furniture…!"

"And are you SEEING the size of this TV?!" Jonouchi chimed in, his eyes positively sparkling.

"Hang on," Ryuji noted, staring at the mantle. "Is that an AUTHENTIC samurai sword?"

"Is it nicer than anything YOU own?" Anzu interrupted.

"You'd better BELIEVE it!" Ryuji answered, marveling at the craftsmanship.

"Then it's expensive. Don't TOUCH it." Anzu commanded firmly, turning her attention to Jonouchi and Honda. "That goes for YOU guys, too!"

It was at that moment that Yugi and Anzu noticed that Mai had slipped away from the group and had already stepped outside the patio doors to look out over the balcony. Sharing a concerned glance, they stepped onto the balcony as well to join her.

"Uh, Mai…?" Anzu's voice caught Mai's attention as she turned to see her and Yugi, both wearing an expression that indicated they wanted to ask something, but were unsure exactly how to proceed. Unfortunately, before either Anzu or Yugi could speak, a loud crash could be heard coming from inside.

"Oooohhh, I don't think you should have done that," Shizuka remarked innocently.

"I'm sorry, would you excuse me for a moment?" Anzu laughed nervously before she turned back to the room with an acid glare and her voice lowered to an evil hiss. "I have to go make a scene."

With that, Anzu stepped back into Mai's room. But it would only be a second before she would make her presence felt to Yugi and Mai.

"WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING IN HERE?!"

"HE DID IT!" Jonouchi, Honda and Ryuji all shouted in unison.

There didn't seem to be anything Yugi or Mai could do, so they simply turned away from the commotion and Mai resumed her watch over the city below.

"So…I'm guessing Jonouchi told you about what happened while we were unconscious," Mai deduced.

"Yeah…," Yugi replied as he turned away slightly, thinking back solemnly to the ghostly image of Atem he briefly saw outside Jonouchi's room.

"I mean…the fact that he trusted ME, of all people, for something like that…It's…kind of hard to believe, isn't it?" Mai commented soberly as Yugi walked over to look over the balcony beside her.

"Oh, I don't know…I believe it," Yugi answered, a slight grin crossing his lips. "He had A LOT of respect for you, Mai."

"Hm…maybe someday I'll figure out what I did to EARN it," Mai responded with a hollow chuckle.

"So…what are you going to do now?" Yugi asked, glancing over at her. "Are you…planning to leave now that Jonouchi's out of the hospital?"

"Actually…I think I've done enough traveling to last me a while. Maybe what I REALLY need is to get some rest…put my feet up somewhere," Mai answered, tossing a playful smirk Yugi's way. "Can you think of anywhere that might be a good place to settle down?"

Yugi merely smiled in response, picking up on Mai's less-than-subtle hint. But it wasn't long before their pause in the conversation drew their attention back to the uproar going on inside. And sure enough, as they walked back into the room, there was Anzu, telling off Jonouchi, Honda and Ryuji while Shizuka could only stand off to the side, trying hard not to giggle at the sight before her.

"So…any high-end shopping hot spots you'd recommend?" Mai asked in amusement.

"I REALLY wouldn't know," Yugi replied lightheartedly.

* * *

><p>"A fine mess you knuckleheads made in there!" Anzu continued scolding as she walked from Mai's building with Yugi and the others. "I can't believe Mai let you get away with it! If it was ME, you'd better believe I'd have made all three of you my SLAVES until you paid it back!"<p>

"Really?" Honda exclaimed jokingly, "Anzu, I had no idea you were into that sort of thing."

"How about it, Yugi?! Is that true?!" Jonouchi called over, causing both Yugi and Anzu to blush heavily. "Come on, you know what she likes by now, right?!"

"That is NOT what I meant and you KNOW it!" Anzu shouted, chasing after the trio while Yugi walked by Shizuka, laughing nervously.

"Uh…Yugi," Shizuka piped up, getting Yugi's attention. "I was just wondering. Do…you think Miss Kujaku going to be alright?"

"You know what, Shizuka? I think so," Yugi answered, putting his hand on Shizuka's shoulder before looking back towards the building with a smile. "In fact, to be honest…I think she's better than she's been in a LONG time."

Back up on the balcony, Mai looked down at Yugi and the others departing…particularly Jonouchi, Honda and Ryuji running away from Anzu…although Jonouchi's attempt, with his hobbled leg was far less successful. After letting out a hollow chuckle of amusement, she went back to staring out over the Domino City skyline. And at that moment, a feeling of peace began to wash over her. From the moment she hinted to Yugi that she wanted to stay…from the moment she said it out loud…she hadn't felt a moment's indecision or insecurity. It all just…went away.

Just then, Mai could have sworn that she saw a blue feather flutter past, out of the corner of her eye. When she glanced over, however, she saw nothing. But at the same time, Mai felt there was something so…familiar about it. And at that moment, Mai felt an even heightened sense of security, as if she could feel someone else supporting her desire to stay.

Meanwhile, if someone on the street happened to look up at just that moment…and the light was hitting at just the right angle…they would almost swear that they saw what appeared to be the image of Harpy Lady sitting on the railing behind Mai…brushing its hair back and smiling along with her as they both took in the view of the city below…

The End


End file.
